Mileage has a completely different meaning in the case of fighter jets on the battlefield. During war, the most important thing is speed, strength and success of the mission. This is the reason why fighter jets consume a lot of fuel. The mileage of a fighter jet is not measured in kilometers per liter, but in meters per liter. That means they can fly only 200 to 400 meters in 1 liter of fuel. According to the report of Simple Flying website, medium range jets like Rafale or F-16 give a mileage of about 300 to 400 meters per liter at normal speed. This means that it may take about 2.5 to 3 liters of fuel to fly 1 kilometer.
If the jet goes into afterburner mode, the fuel consumption increases by 3 to 4 times. During this period the mileage may reduce to 100 meters per liter or even less. The afterburner gives extra power to the engine, due to which the jet reaches very high speed.
Which jets use more fuel?
Twin engines and heavy jets consume the most fuel. Like F-22 Raptor and Su-30 MKI. F-22 can burn 8,000 to 10,000 liters of fuel in an hour. Su-30 MKI can also consume 7,500 to 9,000 liters per hour. Whereas light and single engine jets like Saab Gripen and India’s LCA Tejas consume less fuel. Their consumption can be between 2,000 to 3,000 liters per hour.
On what factors does fuel consumption depend?
The amount of fuel a fighter jet will burn depends on many factors, such as: jet speed, use of afterburner, weight of weapons and additional tanks, and flight altitude.
Why is it important to refuel in the air?
Fighter jets consume fuel rapidly, so air refueling becomes necessary in long-range missions. With the help of tanker aircraft, jets refuel during flight, so that they can operate for several hours without stopping. Overall, the mileage of fighter jets may be low, but their power and speed make them real weapons of war.
